Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club

For those travelling to Oregon with thoughts of experiencing the best of Pacific Northwest golf, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club is likely a top destination. Located thirty minutes west of downtown Portland, the 36-hole facility has played host to some of golf’s most memorable moments, including Tiger Wood’s dramatic come from behind victory (and unprecedented third consecutive title) in the 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship.

Ghost Creek, the facility’s 18-hole public course, and Witch Hollow, its private side counterpart, were designed by acclaimed architect Robert E. Cupp, whose work in Oregon includes The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club (Portland), Crosswater Club (Bend), and Langdon Farms Golf Club (Portland). Ghost Creek was named the “Best New Public Course” in the country by Golf Digest in 1992, and Witch Hollow earned the “#2 Best New Private Course in the U.S.” award the same year. Both courses are listed annually in national “Best Of” publications for Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, and GolfWeek.

Notable holes include Ghost Creek’s 454 yard par-4 18th, and Witch Hollow’s 545 yard par-5 18th. The “Home” holes on both courses provide insight into the facility’s design philosophy – accuracy off the tee is required, and precise iron play will result in birdie opportunities. Many of the green complexes are generous in size, though players must find the correct area of the surfaces to approach the pins, as subtle nuances can affect even the most experienced of putters.

Perhaps no other facility in the state has garnered as much history and notoriety over the past 20 years as Pumpkin Ridge. In addition to the ’96 Amateur, Pumpkin Ridge hosted the U.S. Women’s Open (1997, 2003), the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship (2006), and the LPGA’s Safeway Classic (2009-2012). In 2014, Pumpkin Ridge became home to the Web.com Tour’s final regular season event, the WinCo Foods Portland Open.